Fertiliser supply challenge looms
Private sector players say they have a combined stock of 116,000 metric tonnes (mt) of all types of fertiliser against a market requirement of 400,000mt.
This means the country faces a deficit of about 284,000mt.
The 116,000mt mark was hit in recent weeks following procurement of an additional 30,000mt of the commodity by private sector players under the Fertiliser Association of Malawi.
Of the amount, 16,000mt are being held by the Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi.
In an interview, Fertiliser Association of Malawi Executive Administrative Officer Mbawaka Phiri said the association intends to import more fertiliser upon securing enough foreign exchange.
“Our supplies have mainly been determined by the amount that our members are contracted to supply to the government under the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) but for our commercial sales we supply around 150,000 mt.
“In 2020, our members supplied 56 percent of the 345,710mt that were required under the AIP but last year the figure went down because many of our members did not participate after the government set a lower price than the market price of the commodity,” Phiri said.
In a separate interview, Chairperson for the Agriculture Committee of Parliament Sameer Suleman faulted the government for what he called entering a shoddy deal with a South African who was yet to supply the commodity.
Officials from the ministry of agriculture have remained mum on issues regarding fertiliser supply in the country.
This is coming at a time prices of the commodity have been on the rise, on average reaching K60,000 per 50 kg bag, which is too expensive for most farmers.
